In The Owls have Come to Take Us Away, Simon is intrigued by aliens and the conspiracies surrounding them. When his family leaves the air force base that they call home to camp in the woods, something strange happens in the woods. Simon is sure he’s been abducted by aliens. Getting someone to believe him is tough. I’d call this a psychological thriller, middle grade style. The Isle of the Lost is a fairy tale remix set after the events of all the Disney movies, during an era when King Beast and Queen Belle rule over all the kingdoms and the villains (and their assorted minions) have long been banished to the Isle of the Lost, where they have no access to magic. Words of Stone was kind of … literary? Blaze is a fearful boy facing big changes. Joselle is an angry girl looking to alleviate her boredom by picking on the aforementioned fearful boy. Which inspires a fragile kind of friendship. I’d say this is one of those kids’ books that doesn’t seem to have been written for kids.
C. J. Milbrandt 